He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace, and some hostages.<n id="1" /> Then he went back to Samaria.<n id="2" />p> <p class="bodytext">(

The <sc>Lordsc> afflicted the king with an illness; he suffered from a skin disease<n id="1" /> until the day he died. He lived in separate quarters,<n id="2" /> while his son Jotham was in charge of the palace and ruled over the people of the land.p>

Menahem got this silver by taxing all the wealthy men in Israel; he took fifty shekels of silver from each one of them and paid it to the king of Assyria.<n id="1" /> Then the king of Assyria left; he did not stay there in the land.p>

In the ninth year of Hoshea&#8217;s reign, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the people of Israel<n id="1" /> to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor (the river of Gozan), and in the cities of the Medes.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">The king of Assyria brought foreigners<n id="1" /> from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria<n id="2" /> in place of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.

He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just like King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky<n id="1" /> and worshiped<n id="2" /> them.

Shaphan the scribe went to the king and reported,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Your servants melted down the silver in the temple<n id="2" /> and handed it over to the construction foremen assigned to the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple.&#8221;

King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received from the Syrians<n id="1" /> in Ramah when he fought against King Hazael of Syria. King Ahaziah son of Jehoram of Judah went down to visit<n id="2" /> Joram son of Ahab in Jezreel, for he was ill.p>